The OSCE to recognize Christians in Poland as a target of hate crimes based on statistics submitted by Ordo Iuris

Published:
12.01.2018

Fotolia

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has just issued its next Hate Crime Report. For the first time, in its section on Poland the 2016 document has mentioned Christians as a separate target group of hate crime, with 19 reported cases, including 17 submitted to the OSCE by Ordo Iuris Institute.

The data published annually by the OSCE shows that the wave of hate crimes targeting Christians has been growing across Europe. The report quotes 509 cases of hate crime against Christians as reported in 2016 by non-governmental organization – nearly 8% more than in the preceding year. Meanwhile, it should be noted that in 2016 the number of illegal acts targeting Muslims in Europe has fallen to 371, against 677 in 2015.

Cases concerning Poland have once again been included in the Report. Unfortunately, the rise of hate acts against Christians is also witnessed in our country. It should be highlighted that the section on Poland has for the first time mentioned Christians as a separate target group of hate crime. The 2016 document quotes 19 incidents in Poland, while in 2012, in a larger, aggregate category of all hate-motivated crimes against “Christians and other religious groups” only 2 offences were reported.

Statistics in the 2016 OSCE Report cover 44 Member States, and include official police data on hate crimes from 17 countries as well as a detailed overview of methods used by the States to process and record reported hate bias offences. The document is complemented with hate crime reports from 48 States, submitted by 125 non-governmental organizations, the UN Human Rights Council and the OSCE field offices.

Ordo Iuris Institute was among the organizations which submitted data on hate bias incidents against Christians in Poland. This was already the third submission made by the Institute to the OSCE.

At the OSCE conference in Warsaw, the Ordo Iuris Institute organized a panel devoted to assessment of the functioning of the Norwegian Child Welfare Agency Barnevernet. Ordo Iuris experts pointed out the need to take steps to protect Norwegians seeking shelter in Poland as well as systemic support for Poles living in Norway today.

At the annual conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Ordo Iuris Institute organized a panel on the issue of hate crime and hate speech. Ordo Iuris experts pointed out that attacks against Christians and defenders of life are often ignored or downplayed in discussions on the subject.

Report of the Ordo Juris Institute: "Persecutions of Christians: Time to React to Genocide” leaves no illusions - persecution of Christians is a fact that is a hot potato on the international forum. However, the time has come for the international community to respond accordingly and to use the right instruments to adequately punish the perpetrators and stop the genocide. Membership of our country in the UN Security Council gives Poland a unique opportunity to initiate action in the international arena to defend the followers of Christ killed because of their faith.

For the third time, the Ordo Iuris Institute has prepared a report on hate crimes committed in Poland. The report will be part of a pan-European OSCE report prepared on the basis of data provided by national governments and non-governmental organizations.

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